informal writing

informal writing

by FZR

Do you know what is ​friendly register?

​Let's try your knowledge!

Multiple Choice

Words shortened to look phonetic "to look the way they sound":

• How y doin?

• How are you?

Multiple Choice

Text message "SMS"- style phonetics, such as:" u → you", "i → I" or a

number to present a word: "4 → for"

• How are you?

• How r u?

​When writing in friendly "informal" register, be careful not to make your level of language too informal. Do not include the following features which are often used when speaking to a friend.

​

​ X How y doin? √ How are you?

​X How r u? √ How are you?

​Features of Friendly Register:

​Always Personalise and Create the reader's Interest

​

​Here is a list of phrases that help you to join your ideas together and also personalise them for the reader – in other words, these phrases will make the reader feel that he is included in your thoughts as you write and that his feelings and opinions have been taken into account.

​

• You’ll truly / absolutely / genuinely/ enjoy.......

• You’ll be pleased / delighted/ glad to know.......

• I know you....

• I’m sure you’ll get well on with.

​PERSONALIZING

‘You’ll be delighted/ tickled to know there’s a fitness centre near where I live, so that we can work out in the gym anytime.’

​

'You’ll be delighted to know’ = personalizing; it shows you know something about what makes your friend happy, her hobbies, character, etc.

​

​‘so that we can work out in the gym.’ = personalizing; again because it shows you know your friend likes to work out. It is also support, because it explains why your house is in a good location for your friend.

​‘You’ll absolutely enjoy not having to walk to school in the morning.’

​

You’ll absolutely enjoy not having to walk to school = personalizing; you know your friend hates walking to school. He’s lazy!

​

​LET'S TRY IT OUT!

You have recently been to a new fast food restaurant in your town. 

​

Write a letter to a friend, telling him or her about your visit. In your letter you should: 

​

• say where the restaurant is, when you went there, and why 

• describe the restaurant and its atmosphere 

• Explain what you ate and what you thought of the food ​

​CREATING INTEREST

​‘There’s a fitness centre near where I live’ – Why tell your friend this? To

create interest.

​

​

​Let's go through the example

​of informail letter

​Hi Julia, 

​

How are you? I’m good. I hope you are fine. Did you score well in your exams? Have you done anything funny and exciting lately? It has been ages since I heard from you. 

​

Do you know about the cool restaurant which opened in our town? Well, last week my friends and I went there for dinner. We walked there since it was not too far away. It was only a few blocks away on Cherry Wood Lane. 

​It was a victory dinner given by my friend Pete. He won the national essay competition. The restaurant was called Blue Curve and there were all kinds of tasty food available there. 

​

The restaurant had paintings of dolphins, oysters and a cute little baby turtle too. It was painted in different shades of blue. 

​

We ate a dish called Lobsterloco Moco, shrimps and pizzas. We were served within 15 minutes and the food was delicious and tasty. 

​The atmosphere of the restaurant was cool and calm. I felt really relaxed and happy. The experience was refreshing and awesome. 

​

When you visit me next time may be we can go there and grab lunch together. 

​

​Regards,

​Emma